5 key takeaways from Steelers Week 1 win over Bills
By Andrew Falce
The Steelers pulled the upset in Week 1 by beating the Bills, and from this victory the fans should come away with these five key takeaways.
Most, myself included, projected a talented Buffalo Bills team to defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first week of the NFL season. The first half of the game seemed to support that, but a surge in the second half paved the way for a win.
With the team 1-0 and heading into a Week 2 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders now, here are five key takeaways Pittsburgh should have from the Week 1 win.
Steelers offensive line is an issue
Much has been said about the offensive line heading into the season. The offseason saw a huge exodus of stalwart names, and the replacements weren’t exactly elite players. The only returning starter from last season is Chukwuma Okorafor and injuries/a lack of options forced a third- and fourth-round rookie to start against the Bills.
On top of all of this, this starting group has little experience playing alongside each other, further casting doubt as to how well they would be able to play.
To say the least, those fears were realized this week. In both the run and pass game, the Steelers’ offensive line failed to muster much of an impact. Najee Harris’s rookie debut was a quiet one as he struggled to find open lanes to move through. The passing game had to revert to quick passes as well in order to avoid constant pressure.
Overall, this group was the biggest area of weakness for the team. Based on the lack of options going forward, don’t be surprised to see this group continue to struggle until they get some more experience playing together.